By Sammy Jakaa.
Chaos rocked Teso County Council on Monday morning after angry residents blocked chief officers from accessing their offices over alleged corruption.
The residents who protested over alleged rampant corruption locked the gates and main door of the council offices paralysing operations in the morning.
The residents were angered by revelations in a recent report by a Taskforce set up to investigate graft allegation that Sh15million meant for projects cannot be accounted for.
Led by the Teso County Council public officer Pascal Okiru, residents asked the acting Local Government Minister Fred Gumo to intervene and ensure the funds are recovered.
“We are asking the Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi to immediately step in and eliminate graft within the council failure to which we would go on rampage,” they threatened.
The residents further demanded that the Council Clerk James Mugweru, Treasurer Nelson King’oro and Works Officer James Etyang be removed from the council.
However the accussed declined to comment on the allegations.
They also vowed not allow the three senior officers to access their offices and declared them ‘Persona non grata.’
The residents further blamed the rot in the council as indiscipline and absenteeism by the clerk and requested the Western Provincial Local Government Officer Patrick Malombe to take action against him immediately.
“The three senior officers should take responsibility of the mess at the council and step aside. It is so sad that the taxpayers’ money end up into people’s pockets while the region is still lagging behind in development,” said Pascal Okiru.
